EMERGENT CHURCH?

In the past week I have received numerous e-mails on the "emergent church". However, I have not even had time to deal with them but I realized it was time to think about what I'm sensing, learning and to where I'm being led. Now I have no idea what other people mean by the "emergent church".

When I got saved it was a wondrous day. For years I sat in a church with an excellent Bible expositor. He taught and I intellectually grew, spiritually not so much. And week after week after week the Gospel was boiled down to getting saved by repenting of sins and receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. Now I AM SO GRATEFUL that my Father in heaven gave His only begotten son so that I might have ever lasting life. I never want to forget or denigrate that fact. Without it and the resurrection nothing else would matter.

In all that teaching though so much of the message of Jesus: Kingdom and Love and the Bride were left out. After years of stagnating and crying out for Jesus I'm seeing more, loving Him more, longing for Him more. I am becoming passionate about Him. I want that beautiful intimacy He desires. That has been a hard place for me to get to because intimacy was taught as only being sexual...That type of thinking does a great disservice to the Gospel and to my Lord and to any who have thought that way. We are part of a Divine Romance and I'm just starting to see this.

What I see emerging is a group of people who are pursuing their Lord with all their hearts, minds, souls and strength. Who are willing to go through the process of transformation so we can be without spot or wrinkle. We love the cross and what Jesus did and have come to know that is just the beginning of His wonderful all encompassing love for us; it is not the end. Neither is just going to heaven the end.

His love for us has been a burning passionate love since before the foundations of the earth. We were already in His heart and mind before we were created; and He knew we'd sin and be who we would be when He would save us, Yet HE LOVES US. It is just like with the Jews in Deuteronomy 7:7, 8a The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; ⁸ but because the LORD loves you,
It is not because you or I were righteous, perfect, beautiful that we were saved. It was because Father so loved the world that He gave His Son...... I was a horrible wretched sinner when Jesus caught me. Unfortunately the attitude of many of my teachers seemed to keep me thinking that I had to be perfect to win His love. The Word doesn't say that, but the subtle teaching did. Even though the Word says God looks on our hearts externals were pushed. The attitudes were of having to do this or that to please Him. Spirituality was measured by how often people were at church, how radiant their smiles were, whether they were having problems or not, by how many good works were being done. Works are to show our faith and glorify our Father. They were created for us to walk in but not to manipulate God into loving us. He can't love us any more. He loves us totally.

For me there has been much lacking in my understanding of His love and plans for me. I thank His for His love, for the Gift of his Blood and for letting me know I have a wonderful life and future in and with Him, all because of Him. He is expanding my revelation knowledge and understanding of Him. He is more, not less of all good things.

I do not ignore the cross but I will no longer, with the Holy Spirit's help, be blind to all the wondrous plans and future that are before me. They are possible because of the Cross!

OBJECT LESSON FROM A CAT

Right at the start let me say that our cats had their names before a TV show began using those words to mean something not so nice. O.K?

Now on to Frack our cat.

Today I was talking to God about being distracted instead of focusing 100% on Him. So I went to sit down with my Bible and focus. At that point Frack came up and began walking on the Bible I had on the table. She was going to have my attention NO MATTER WHAT. I was getting irritated but sensed God giving me an object lesson. Yup, it's how He wants me to be with Him--nothing stopping or sidetracking me from Him.

Giving the cat attention was a pleasurable and soothing time for me. I couldn't help but think of all the times in the Old Testament God talked about sacrifices being a soothing aroma (NASB).

I think He was telling me how much He enjoyed it when I sought Him that way--whole heartedly. He says in His Presence if fullness of Joy. I found that when I went back and sought Him with no regard for anything else the Joy was sweet.